From Minnie's Ditch To John's Ditching

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Ed Ciliberti of Pebble Beach told The Pine Cone that Monterey gave him a license for the 1916 caboose, which he purchased from local author Randall Reinstedt and his wife, Debbie. The state granted Ciliberti a seller’s permit this week.“I hope to have the new ground lease in the next few days for The Cannery Row Caboose,” said Ciliberti on the train car’s new business name.

And who really thought that Measure X was going to improve roads for cars? Better spent on substainable things like slow empty buses and more unused bicycle lanes.

Would it not be easier to use those metal ribbons and come up with some sort wheeled vehicle that could ride people from one end to the other faster and safer than MST buses?

For Monterey County, the study concluded that a “bi-directional” busway along the branch line between Fremont Boulevard and Reservation Road would be the “most cost-effective alternative,” noting that it is supported by TAMC’s Measure X funding (about $15 million designated for bus rapid transit, along with potential grant funding). The project cost is currently estimated at about $33.4 million, according to a TAMC staff report.

“With the hotel, (the) project where Goodie’s currently is, the Holman Building and the apartments that are going to be built on Laurel Avenue, it’s going to be a few years but we’re going to have a vibrant downtown,” said Fischer. “It’s going to help the city a lot.”

Another case of needing to spend more time with family. Sure, the owners are moving to “wine country”. Spend more time with fermenting grapes.

The Victorian home, built in 1893 and known as the Hart Mansion after Dr. Andrew Jackson Hart for whom it was built, is now on the market for $2 million. The four bedroom property — often featured on the town’s annual Home Tour when it was still held, and in national publications — has served as a tea room and special event venue since 2015, five years after the current owners Jim and Kathy Turley bought it in 2010.

While the Turleys initially planned for it to be solely their residence, the two said that because so many people were coming up to their front door and trying to come in and look around, they decided to find a way to open it to the public.

“It’s a completely different design,” said Mark Brodeur, director of community and economic development, about the newest plans. “The other Victorian look didn’t mesh well in the immediate neighborhood. This design meshes a lot better with the museum and the library.”

Councilman Rudy Fischer also mentioned the building’s change of color.

“We have these tan buildings in the library and museum and he had this greenish/gray color,” said Fisher, noting the latest change in hue.

Feeling pleased that your conscientious recycling is helping to save the environment? Not so fast. Your yogurt container or takeout clamshell might end up in a dump thanks to a ban on discarded items that the United States had been sending to China for processing.

This year, China followed through with its threat to prohibit the import of U.S. plastics, mixed paper and other materials that it says were turning the country into the world’s garbage dump. The repercussions from the new policy have been quick and nowhere close to sorted out in communities across the U.S.

More tax dollars spent on stoplights to route the tourists and tourist industry workers. Where would we be without tourists?

Narrowing the sidewalks on Lighthouse or making Hawthorne one way to Pvt Bolio were all great ideas, but they are all pro-car and not an option.

On an average day 54,000 cars come around the Lighthouse curve passing Private Bolio Gate to the Presidio of Monterey. That is more vehicles than travel any given spot on Highway 1, Highway 101, Highway 68, or Highway 156 in Monterey County.

The first step has been adding adaptive traffic signals.

“What this system does is every two and a half minutes it makes decisions based on the traffic that is coming,” Renny said.

The signals also keep a history of traffic so the system can make predictive decisions. A portion of Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey already has the signals but by Summer 2019 the city plans to install the lights stretching from David Avenue and Lighthouse Avenue all the way to English Avenue and Del Monte Avenue.

The money for the project is coming from a grant, neighborhood improvement fund dollars and Measure X.